AJ Styles is slightly better at teasing an AEW star for Royal Rumble than Renee Paquette

Just like Cody Rhodes himself hinting about his options during “an insane week in wrestling”, AJ Styles “calling out” Rhodes for the Royal Rumble is probably just good fun to get the internet worked up about something that almost certainly isn’t going to happen.

Heck, AJ himself seems skeptical when Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman asked him about Cody being on a free agent on “a handshake deal” with AEW right now. But he also points out that even if Rhodes and Tony Khan do have a signed contract, it wouldn’t necessarily mean the former Stardust couldn’t show up in St. Louis tonight (Jan. 29):

“Ehhh, I don’t know about that. I don’t know — Cody, I’m gonna call you out, man. I don’t know about that one. Cause you were able to do independents while working for AEW, right? So, what’s the difference?

“Of course [I’d like to see him at the Rumble]. Who wouldn’t?”

That doesn’t do much to change my mind that reports no AEW stars will enter the Rumble(s) are correct, but it’s slightly better than Renee Paquette’s tease on The Sessions of her husband Jon Moxley’s possible involvement:

“We don’t live that far from St. Louis. Within driving distance... It would melt people’s brains. People would lose their mind...

“Listen, I don’t know what his schedule is. I am also busy. I can’t keep track of what he’s doing, or where he’s got to be — I have no idea. I don’t know what Saturday looks like for him... I couldn’t tell you. I could not tell you.”

Do I believe Mox plays things close to the vest, and that he & Renee take a laissez-faire attitude to their lives? Yes. Do I think Paquette has “no idea” where the man she calls her baby daddy will be? As Dean Ambrose himself once famously said...

We’ll find out if forbidden doors will be opened and minds blown in a few hours.